New Beginnings
by Sinuzaki
Summary: Zari has never been one known to be obedient or subtle. Though born slightly mute, her voice seemed to always be heard. But certain Circumstances led one day to her banishment, and now she will see where life takes her. OC.
1. Chapter 1

A week has passed since my last bath, approximately two days since my last meal, and about a lifetime since my last drink. I'm not sure where I am, exactly, but direction has never been a skill I had the pleasure of boasting about. That's besides the point. 

It's a bright clear day, and the sun is having it's fun with me today. Despite the seemingly bad situation i'm in, this is basically like any other day for me. Though i'm still getting used to the notion. Since my banishment...this was my life. When was I going to learn to accept that? It was easy for me to delude myself at times, but it's getting easier to cope with. That doesn't stop the relentless anger, though, the suddenly hostile urge that constantly boils up, telling me to punch something, and fast. There's a tree nearing, and feeling hopeless, I take comfort in leaning against it. Then a sound cuts through my moping. Water...It can't be, but it is! I turned the corner, watching my step as I almost plumett into a small pond lying less than two feet from me. A small waterfall complements the space. 

"Oh, thank you Irohs of the Universe!" I yell, Stripping out of my tattered clothing. I crouched to my heels, ignoring the stinging pain. 

The water surrounds me, lapping at my skin and suffocating me momentarily while I dive to it's depths. When I reach the surface again, a satisfied sigh escapes me. Long ago this would have been something of a fun little activity. Funny how things change, and now I find myself finding hope in this small pond. 

Slowly, I reach out and grab my ragged old shirt, prepared to wring it through with water till it's usable once again. It's filled with countless holes, and the seams are close to unthreading. As I reach for the garment, however, calloused hands meet my fingers and a jolt spreads through my body in a blind flash. 

My ears are bludgeoned with loud yells of "Fire Nation!" and "Must die!" I turn around, a frightened and angry hiss escaping my throat as I prepare to defend myself. It's a foolish action, though, and in an instant everything fades. 

Then, i'm met with darkness. 

_**Yeah, so, I'm trying to get back in this. I know i've said that before and that this is my second time trying to revive this story, but I promise it'll be better! As you can see I edited the chapter again, and though I still don't like it, it's better. Once I get to about...chapter 3, I think it'll be relatively smooth sailing. **_

_**Also, I really don't like my writing. So, any readers, please, give me your most harshest critisisms! I really want to pursue writing, but not i I can't start feeling confident in it, especially considering this is just fanfiction. So, yeah. **_

_**From old version: Kkitty96 thanks for the review and I hope you don't mind what I did here. I just decided it would be a lot easier if I put this chapter first than the other. I know, I know, I should've done that earlier, but hey, what can you do?**_


	2. Chapter 2

Out of the darkness, in what I supposed was a dream, I could see bright reds and yellows flow through the air. It could only be firebending. The small flame flickered and grew, surrounding my vision, embracing me with it's heat and energy. I gasped and woke up. A door opened. A boy of around my age stood there, hatred enveloping his eyes, and a single piece of straw in his mouth. He had shaggy dark hair, something close to a dark brown, though I couldn't be too sure. My head swam in uneasy vertigo. I cleared my throat, testing it's audacity, and was relieved to find that I had been allowed to speak today.

"Excuse me...but, where am I?" Though it came out hoarse and raspy, my voice was still comprehendable and I knew the boy would be able to hear. He seemed unwilling to acknowledge me, though, and after a brief silence looked down to realize, much to my dismay, that I probably had nothing on. Touche. I, in fact, had a very loose robe on. It seemed suspicously close to something I would have worn before my banishment, fitting for a palace noble or even royalty. Under the realization that someone would have had to pull me out of the water- and therefore see me in what I considered an unreasonable state- my face flushed in embarresment, despite myself.

I glared up at the boy, and with shock realized he was no longer there. A shudder went down my neck as I realized he had moved without me noticing, and I being an idiot had put my gaurd down.

Stupid!

A hand suddenly grabbed the nape of my neck, pressing hard into the sides until bruises were likely to appear. I turned, slapping whoever it was across the face, cutting his cheek with my nails. His fist engulfed my wrist, his face inches from mine. I seethed, wanting to spit at him, scratch, and make him feel my wrath. But just as much as I felt anger, I was also consumed by fear. How irritating that I, dispite myself, was shuddering in fear from this complete stranger. When had anyone made me feel fear?

His voice came in a deep rasp, his eyes not meeting mine, as he tried to come off as threatning. "You little...why are you here? Answer me! Actually, you know what, just...just shut up! God, we should have killed yo-" He cut himself off, pulling hastily away from me, trying to restrain himself. I took that chance, lifting myself up in a fighters stance and readying to throw a blast at him. In shock he dodged to the side, coming back at me for a strike, before realizing I was already out the door.

My breathing became fast and hard, my head banging in a constant drum while my lungs suffered just forbreath. Before I knew it, I was on the floor, choking for air. A pain stung all through me, making it impossible to get up. I'd never been this vulnerable, and it didn't settle to well with me. I hated it. Much like my sister, I hated being weak; though I had a different opinion on what made me weak. Hands clamped around my stumach, ready to pick me up. I was about off the floor when my stomach heaved, and the contents of a meal I thought no longer existed spilled out. The boy jumped back, disgusted and shocked. My stomach continued to batter itself, throwing crude contents that burned through my throat, leaving my mouth tasting rancid.

"Great." I muttered, spilling another round of puke to the ground.

* * *

"Move her to the bed, and make sure she can't get out of those binds. Keep the ropes tied up to her forearms, in case she's a bender." They had finally hauled me back to their base and were trying to take as many precautions as possible to ensure I wouldn't pull another stunt until they found out my intentions. The boy, who I now had gathered to be their leader, caught my eyes and I couldn't help but smirk mockingly at him. He glared back, while strutting towards me, and grabbed me roughly by the chin. "Though I think it's pretty obvious by that stunt you pulled earlier that you are, am I right?"

In mute tradition, I stayed silent. This was the second time they had moved me, and I was being continuosily checked on like a small child. It was wearing on my nerves. Where did they get the gall to tie me up like a prisoner, anyways? What did they want. some horrible confession on how I killed a family of traveling musicians? Well, I didn't, and considering there was no possibilty they knew who I was, there shouldn't be any problem. But they had dared to attack me, unprovoked, and keep me hostage for an unknown amount of time. That angered me.

A girl came in before I could do anything rash, and we stayed there in silence for a while, just staring at each other. She had choppy, short, almost shoulder length hair, and wore a breastplate and clothing that resembled the others here. You could almost mistake her for a boy. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and yelled out, "What the hell's your problem? I didn't do anything, an-" my voice broke out into a croak, making me go into a coughing fit. The two jumped up quickly, surprised by my sudden outburst, and even more by my coughing. After I finished, I look back to her, to see that she had the alarmed expression I had been anticipating. I chastised myself, angry for getting caught, and for being unprepared. We stared at each other for a while, daring each other to speak.

With a stern look, as if to say 'Don't you dare pity me,' I sighed. "I didn't do anything; you guys had no right to just up and take me like that!"

She remained unblinking, unfazed my any comment I made. The door slammed just then, and I was met with another stranger. "An archer," I acknowledged, noticing the arrows adorning his back.

"Here, get some clothes on." A brown shirt was handed to me, long enough to pass for a dress. I sighed, getting up and stripping from the robe I had on-much to my acquaintances surprise. I didn't have any undergarments, having lost parts of my Sarashi* to the harsh weather. The dress actually felt comfortable and suited me fine. I turned and looked at him, a glare capable of putting anyone six feet under plastered serenely on my face.

"Now what? Shall I go make you lunch? Or perhaps I should, I know!" I smiled at him mockingly, "Go wash the dishes and fix your clothes? Would you like me to make you your breakfast? Or is it lunch time, because, as you very well know, I've been stuck here and don't have a slight idea of the time!" I passed my hand in front of my face, feigning a childish pout that was drenched in sarcasm. "After all, you've yet to make your purposes clear to me. For all I know I could now be very well enslaved to you."

After a brief silence, he met my eyes and stated simply, "You're fire nation." I leaned back, resting on the bed, giving him a curious gaze. "Yes, your point being...?" I couldn't fathom why this boy and his troop were so keen on my nationality. Did they know who I was, or were they just concerned about my fire bending status? I averted my attention back to the conversation at hand. My voice was a whisper. Whether because I meant it that way or my illness was kicking in, I couldn't tell. "I fail to see your reason for being so angsty, kid. What does me being fire nation have to do with anything?"

He stared at me. "It has to do with everything."

_Ok, so here's where my old plot ends and my new plot making skills kick in! Does that make sense? Anyways, I hope it's not too short. I was going to cut it off at where Zari is vomiting, but found out how to make it longer while still keeping the flow._

_Thanks for the reviews guys! Means a lot. Now I have to come up with a new chapter, all on new brain matter! Ah. Scary. Also, I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with Zari's character yet. I feel like she's just dangling, but her old character had me a bit wary because I felt she was too Mary-Sue ish. But, I digress. I shall update soon. _

_ps. I got paranoid and worried that I may be coming across as rather pessemistic or something xD Really, I'm not. Sorry if it seems I am. I'm just a bit of a worry wart._

_-SN_

***Sarashi-Sarashi is kind of like breast bindings. It's the type of garment you see Katara wear whenever she's swimming as an undergarment. In ATLA world, it can be used as underwear or for swimming, specefically by people of the Water Tribes. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry the update lagged there for a bit. School was ending, so I had exams and friends graduating to worry about. Updates should be a lot more frequent now, at least once a week. Sorry for the abrupt cut off, but I'm trying to figure out how to get the story moving. I don't know how to execute the plot correctly and get her out of this situation realistically and in a way you guys like._

_-I really thought it would be longer. Sorry about that._

_Don't forget to review!_

There was a brief and awkward silence as we let that last statement settle in. The tone of his voice, the anxiety that riddled his movements, and the flashes of anger that consumed his eyes could only speak so much about his character. It was obvious that this boy had his share of resentment towards my people, perhaps irationally so, and I was just glad that he seemed to be unaware of exactly how imbedded I was to the fire nation. Maybe, though, just maybe, I could reason with him enough so he wouldn't attack me anymore.

"Ok," I managed in a soft voice, sitting down and inclining my head slightly, "enlighten me. What exactly is my situation? Why did you capture me?"

The two others in the room looked at me, surprised by my seemingly calm demeanor. The leader boy still had a harsh glare on his face, but it wasn't as antagonistic before.

"Why are you here in the forest alone? What is your motive?" It seemed that he wasn't prone to beating around the bush, and I had to pause to figure out how I would answer. I wouldn't have to lie, exactly, but I wasn't about to give him all the details freely. "OK, first off, lets be... civilized." I murmured, my voice coming out weak and frail. I had to cough, but that wouldn't help much. "My name is Za-," my voice was cut off by another round of coughing and I had to completely sit on the bed to regain my composure. "Zari."

The shirt was begining to feel tight, and the boy was moving closer, his arm raised as if he was about to touch me. Stepping sharply away, I noticed a window and walked towards it. My path was blocked by the female, who had grabbed a long sword and was using it to block my way.

"I'm not suicidal." I sneered, turning away and going back to the bed. If they were going to treat me like a caged up animal, I might as well act like one. "Ok, so your name is Zari. You still didn't answer my other questions." The leader leaned onto the bed, shoving his face close to mine so we were forced to glare at each other. "I was in the forest alone because I chose to be. I don't need a huge group to weigh me down, or make me feel safe." He clenched his teeth at that, and I continued on smirking, "As for my motive? How about staying alive as a motive. Does that work for you?" I spat at him, standing up abruptly. For a moment we stood face to face, my head barely coming up to his nose, our eyes locked. I took a deap breath, trying to calm myself, but he took it as an inneciative for an attack and swiveled backwards, two hook swords poised and at the ready. "Smellerbee, Longshot, now!"

The two misfits had me pinned, one holding my arms while the other one had a knee digging straight into my back. This was getting ridiculous. With another deep breath, and a hard shove, a gust of fire sent the two hurdling backwards and propeling me to my feet, ready to fight. The leader boy, poised to strike, waited for me to make the first move. We circled, and then he struck.


End file.
